Apple has long been at the forefront of the consumer electronic industry. Impacting and forever changing culture and societies across the globe through innovation and ingenuity.

In the summer of 2015, the founder of Modern Arts Packaging was reading an article about Apple’s new highly anticipated, self-sufficient headquarters being built in Cupertino, CA. As a frequent Apple Store patron, he was surprised to realize that such a forward thinking and ECO conscious company was still getting their shopping bags so wrong.Read More

The decision to go “green” and develop environmentally friendly shopping bags and retail packaging presents no shortage of conflicting ethical, practical and legal factors to consider.

The base material your packaging is manufactured from is one of the most important elements to review. Optimal Eco-conscious base materials are made from recycled or renewable content that is easily available.

Mixing materials makes recycling in standard waste streams a challenge. The best solution utilizes a die-cut handle or another handle style that is the same base material as the bag. Laminated finishes add a plastic coating to paper and make recycling difficult. Most plastic laminate films will also not degrade naturally.

The guide below is to help you make educated material choices when developing environmentally conscious shopping bags and packaging. However, all projects are specific to individual needs. Contacting a retail packaging specialist at ModernArts will assure your brand’s Eco-friendly packaging efforts are on track.

The creation of ECO friendly custom retail bags for a personalized packaging program is not a simple process. It takes educated planning based on thorough review of specific project needs and environmental factors. This multi-part guide is meant to help a brand or retail store further understand the suggested ways to develop ECO friendly shopping bags and customized packaging.

This guide is a go-to resource about the essential general aspects that can make your bags more environmentally friendly. Base materials, mixing materials, preferred ECO bag styles and so much more will be discuss on an introductory level, allowing for a solid foundation of understanding about how to think and approach any ECO packaging project.

Stop guessing and making assumptions about what makes your bags “green” – get educated with this guide. Or pass it along to someone who you feel needs to get more down to earth with their packaging program by sharing via social media below the graphic.

The True Cost Movie is a must see to fully understand the darker side of fashion manufacturing and production.

After you view this stunning and groundbreaking documentary you will easily make the connection from the garments and accessories that are the subject of this film to the bags, boxes and packaging those items go home with the consumer in.

Another stark reminder of the need for responsibly sourcing your retail packaging. At Modern Arts we offer a wide range of environmentally friendly packaging and shopping bags. Our production facilities are also highly responsible and held to strict labor standards.

The historical “Gold Standard” for meeting environmental goals are “Reduce – Reuse – Recycle”. When retail packaging attempts to abide by these “rules”, there are numerous complications that must be weighed in a real environmental context.

WHAT IS SUGAR-CANE PAPER?

Sugar-cane paper is produced from the sugar-cane fibers that are the residue from the sugar-cane refining process. These fibers contain cellulose. Cellulose is the basic building block used to produce most papers. The sugar-cane fiber replaces the traditional wood-based fibers used to produce most papers.

FACTS ABOUT 40% POST-CONSUMER-WASTE CONTENT (PCW)

In our ongoing research and follow-up with paper mills, we have found that supporting the 40% Post-Consumer Waste (PCW) requirement with integrity is much more difficult than what seemed possible at first glance. Many paper sources/mills claim to produce paper with recycled content, but when third-party testing is utilized one finds contradictions, distorted data —much confusion.

The plastic bags shoppers use to carry their goods home from the store have become an environmental battleground, and statistics are a key weapon in the fight.

Cities around the U.S. have banned or considered banning the bags because of their environmental impact. Manufacturers of the sacks have dueled with environmentalists and makers of reusable bags over carbon footprints. And last week, a maker of reusable bags settled a lawsuit filed by a plastic-bag manufacturer over competing numerical claims on bags’ imprint on the environment.

Reusable-bag makers, which market sacks made of sturdy canvas or recycled plastic meant for years or a lifetime of use, claim disposable plastic bags impose a big burden on the environment and deplete fossil fuels. Plastic-bag makers counter that a large proportion of their bags are reused or recycled, and that reusable bags must be washed frequently, diminishing their green credentials.